We need a militia

In your article, "Killer Course" [Cover story, October 17, 2002] (http://www.readthehook.com/92610/cover-story-killer-course-school-civili...), David Wallis points out the link between the Constitution's right to bear arms and the need for a "well-regulated militia." Our present lack of a militia is the fault of Congress, which ignores clear-cut Constitutional instructions. The "people" whose right to bear arms is guaranteed– and who do so– should not be blamed.

Is it any wonder that America is in trouble when our government persists in ignoring exactly that protection which the Founders designed as "being necessary to the security" of our nation? The National Guard is not a militia as envisioned in the Constitution– various places in the Constitution spell out exactly how militias are to be organized and operated.

The militia was designed to use citizen-kept weaponry to repel invasions (terrorists are modern invaders) and to stop both insurrections and domestic violence precisely such as that being perpetuated by the cowardly sniper (possibly at this writing under arrest).

Rather than continually enacting ineffective and unconstitutional gun control laws, rather than disarming law-abiding American citizens, Congress needs to perform its duty to fulfill its end of the Second Amendment bargain by creating a modern day militia– a significant body of armed, trained, plain-clothed civilians whose ubiquitous presence would help considerably to deter and apprehend all kinds of terrorists and crazies who presently attack us with relative impunity.

Our citizenry would no longer be the sitting ducks we have become if those whose politics or insanity drives them to attack us had to worry that any citizen (man or woman) previously encountered or coming around the next corner might be highly trained, armed, and ready to arrest them or to stop them with deadly force– and was likewise prepared to call in instant backup, perhaps from passing motorists (themselves armed and trained militia-persons) or from regular police units.

The manner in which our nation's Founders designed the militias to be organized so as to prevent dictatorial and police state abuses is a work of political art equal to the checks and balances of our tripartite government.

Whatever happened to our original militias I don't know, but armed and trained modern militias would remove the bulls-eye targets which Congressional dereliction has allowed to be painted on our backs, and put them on criminals and terrorists where they belong!